Love is a Bucket of Bolts
by Twin-books
Summary: Telling a story of hope, to capture what made Shard and Nicole's relationship - and the comics- special.


_**A/N:**_ **Made for a contest of DeviantART issued by the group Shard-X-Nicole. The contest rules being;**

 **Please feel free to be creative with your theme! The only limit is your imagination- we want it to mean something to you!**

 **1: The focus of this contest is Shard and Nicole, and thus, this couple must be the primary theme and pairing in everyone's entry in order to qualify for prizes.**

 **2: You are welcome to draw other characters in the picture, either fan characters or other official characters, but Shard and Nicole should be the main focus!**

 **3: Both visual art and written content are accepted! Written works should be at least 1000 words in order to qualify. Comics are also perfectly acceptable!**

 **can choose any theme you like as long as it relates to overall theme- HOPE- in some way! Have fun with it and feel free to be creative!**

 **5.: Recolored or stolen art is not allowed and will not be eligible for prizes. We also discourage the use of bases- we want to see YOUR hard work!**

 **6: Please keep all entries age-appropriate. Mature, hate, or fetish related artwork will not be eligible for prizes.**

 **7: You ARE welcome to draw as many entries as you would like, but only one will be eligible to win!**

 **So... If you have a hard time understanding some of the character interactions I recommend reading the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog series and Sonic Universe series. Both from the old and new universe as characters from both universes (before and after Ken Penders' lawsuit) are added in here. I also purposly made this for Sonic Archie fans to understand so if you are not an Archie Sonic fan or Sonic fan in general, the interactions may make little sense and I apologize but this was made for a Sonic Archie Shardicole End of Summer contest found here;** journa… **issued by the Shard-X-Nicole group.**

 **So first, I feel the important thing to mention is from the beginning up to the part where Nicole thanks Sally and Bunnie... That was made before this contest was announced and I had originally wanted to do an artistic piece inspired by a song that I felt fit the couple but I couldn't find that perfect song. It wasn't until I had shown my best friend, Samantha's library (please check her stories out, here on fan fiction), some of my uncompleted fan fictions I just wrote for fun. This was among them as a short little blurb. An unfinished work that I just wrote for fun and was funnily enough inspired by Galaxynite, founder of Shard-X-Nicole. I had always wanted to write Nicole and had loved her relationship with Sally as well as her romance with Shard. It was fully intended that the groom was Shard but in case I felt like putting a twist in it, that's why his name was never referred to until past that point. Anyway, so showing Sam this she said I should really publish these on DeviantART and/or on fanfiction net. (I published the other two on fanfiction net just after deciding to use this blurb as my entry for the contest, btw). I had no idea my little ideas and scribbles were so... cool? Yeah, "cool", I suppose. So I thought back on this little story and eventually decided to finish it and use it for the contest. So essentially, you have Samantha's Library (please check out her work here on fan fiction) to thank for this.**

…o0o…

"I can't believe it. I can't believe I'm getting married before you... I feel guilty." The lynx started playing with her dress as her best friend helped neaten it up and her other friend worked on her hair. The lynx insisted she wanted to make her look naturally, organically and non-virtual.

"Why?" Sally asked giggling. "This is your moment, Nicole. Just because you aren't organic doesn't make you any less of a person. You have as much of a right to happiness as Bunnie and I." Nicole gave her an appreciated smile, though doubt twinkled in her eyes.

"Sally's right, Sugah. Don't worry about Sallygirl. Worry about you! Today's your day, Sugah." Bunnie told the worried lynx as she carefully braided her hair and stuck in little decorations.

Nicole felt tears come to her eyes. "You guys are wonderful... I just..."

"Hey, hey! Save those tears for him, okay?" Sally said, standing up and wiping Nicole's tears away.

"Thanks, guys, you're the best..."

"And you're programed sufficiently." Sally said, smirking. Nicole felt tears come to her eyes again as she laughed. Bunnie laughed along with her as Sally followed but the laughter was silenced by the music that flooded the halls and managed to seep through the closed door. "That's your que, Bunnie." Sally smiled. Bunnie nodded and quickly examined her work, made a few finishing touches and then exited the room to join the ceremony.

Nicole then became increasingly nervous. As ceremony of emotion wasn't exactly a fitting match for a robot and an AI, or at least a normal robot and AI. Sally stood up, satisfied with her work and pulled Nicole softly into a small embrace. "Hey. This is your day. Don't let those judgmental people out there scare you. Focus on him and how much he loves you. Together you accomplished something most thought impossible and never get to feel; Love."

Nicole smiled, wiped the tears from her eyes and pulled herself out of the hug. "Thank you, Sally. I shall remain eternally grateful to you for granting me this wish. You should go now. Soon my song will begin." Sally nodded her head and told her she owed Nicole so much anyhow. There was no need for thank yous.

As Sally exited the room, Nicole looked herself in the mirror and smiled. She refused any digital enhancements to "sweeten" her appearance. Her spouse had always told her she didn't need any special programming to impress him so she took his word to heart. She hoped he would notice.

She giggled to herself. Of course, Shard would notice. He hardly missed anything when it came to her.

Her ears perked up when she heard the bride's song being played. Her song. Their song. She took a calming breath before walking out of the room and in front of the two closed doors. A ghost of Nicole's past made himself present by taking her arm in his. She turned to look at him in his hunched over form. "Dr. Ellidy? I thought… I thought you weren't going to come." She was very surprised to see the old gray lynx next to her but did not break the hold he had on her arm. "I thought Sir Charles was-"

"Nikk- Nicole, I asked him if I may step in. I know," His ears drooped a bit, and Nicole could see he seemed disappointed, "I haven't been the best… Fatherly presence for you in the past so I had no idea why you would invite me but you have so much love and forgiveness in that heart I made for you. I can't believe how my creation has grown. I owe you this much because you didn't deserve the anger I had against you. You are still my daughter and I should be here for your special day…" He smiled and tilted his head to look at her face as Nicole was a slight bit taller than him with his hunchback. "He's one lucky machine."

Nicole smiled back, resisting the urge to cry and doing her best to obey Sally and Bunnie's instructions. "Dr. Ellidy… Thank you!" She cried, flinging her arms around his neck which clearly surprised him. He slowly and awkwardly, but lovingly wrapped his arms around her and patted her back. "I-I only wish Nikki was here…" She said, pulling herself out of the embrace and trying to regain her composure as the music picked up.

It was time for them to enter. Nicole hardly noticed the many faces staring back at her in awe or the many whispers that were spoken among her guests. Her eyes were focused upon the robot standing at the alter waiting for her. However, her ears picked up on Dr. Ellidy's comment of, "Nikki is here, Nicole. And I finally get to walk both my daughters down the aisle." Then the glitchy tears just began to flow, and she couldn't stop them this time.

When they had reached the alter Nicole practically hopped on, her programming nearly malfunctioning from all the joy she felt. She looked Shard in the optics only to find he was crying too.

"You're crying?" He chuckled with that android like voice.

"You're crying too, you dork." She said as King Acorn called the ceremony to order. It went on as any normal ceremony but with occasional robotic twists that were hard not to notice. By the time it came to hand over the rings, Cheese (the ring barrier) flew up to them as soon as possible. They each took the other's ring from the little chao and repeated the words they were told to repeat to each other.

Nicole watched as Shard shakingly slipped the ring suspiciously shaped like a metal nut onto her ring finger. She giggled as he gave her a silly face, clearly enjoying their own humor. The night he proposed all he had was a bolt on him. They laughed inwardly as she slipped his w\ring on his metal finger. The ring was simply in the shape of a tight-fitting washer. Clearly no one had no idea what pulled them out of the real world and into this silly faced state.

Shard stepped closer to Nicole, not letting the King finish his statement as he said to Nicole. "So… Are you gonna kiss me or not?" Nicole merely smirked and pulled him towards her, tossing the flowers over her head a bit early, taking everyone by surprise. The best maid, Sally was the one to catch them, a smirk on her face as she handed them off to fellow bridesmaid, Amy Rose.

"I thought you would never ask!" She cried, before kissing him on his metal muzzle, their tears flowing more. The best man, Silver, merely facepalmed as Larry put a hand on his shoulder and they both laughed. The King was clearly dumbfounded as the rest of the crowd erupted in cheers.

Cream, the resident flower girl, pranced around the couple tossing petals to and froe and applause were made. It took that to shake the king out of his confused state and scream the order to let the services begin over the cheering crowd just as the two non-organic beings pulled away.

"You look like a million sparkling pixels." Shard whispered to her, leaning his forehead against hers and messing up her neatly made hairdo.

"And you look like a handsome pile of spray-painted scrap metal." She said, mischievously.

"Hey!" Shard cried. In act of revenge he swung his bride around in circles before pulling her closer to him.

"I'm so glad I found you again." Nicole cried.

"I'm so glad you built me again!" Shard laughed as Nicole rolled her eyes.

A figure raced up to the newlyweds. It was none other than Sonic who wrapped an arm around each of them. "Man, you guys sure know how to make a wedding interesting!" He cried. "That was a movie moment, there." Sonic whistled before getting pulled off them by a familiar aura.

"Hey, give them some peace. They just got married." The best man walked up to the floating speedster. Silver turned his head and smirked at Shard. "You don't even follow the rules to your own wedding."

"What can I say? It's against my programming to play by the rules." Shard smirked back. Silver rolled his eyes and walked off, pulling Sonic along with him. The blue hedgehog was heard making threats as they disappeared into the crowd.

As that went on, Nicole felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to find a crying Sally in front of her. "I thought you said no crying?" She gave her best friend a sweet smile. Sally laughed and pulled her into another embrace.

"I'm so happy for you, Nicole. You deserve him and he deserves you after all you both have been through. I'm so proud." Sally cried. Nicole softly hugged her back.

"Sally, I finally found the definition of happiness." Nicole cried, looking back at Shard as he caught up with Sir Charles. She smiled knowing that made him so happy to be a part of someone who meant so much to him in his life. "And I never want to lose him again."

…o0o…

 _ **A/N:**_ **Explanation of some sorts and why the characters are written as they are** **; Now the interactions and relationships with characters mentioned was my way of essentially closing the book on these characters but not forever... Just closing the first so the next can be opened. I brought in the relationship of Dr. Ellidy and Nicole as I loved the new backstory for Nicole in the newer Archie universe. It made more sense than her old one and brought more emotion and in a way... I finally could understand Nicole as a character. The slightly mentioned relationship with Sir Charles (Uncle Chuck) and Shard was to close his story. It was to fix ties between the families they had that kind of... cut them off. Silver being the best man wasn't because Silver is one of my favorite characters but is because, after careful consideration between him and Larry it was far more apparent to me that Silver had a special kind of relationship with Shard. They didn't particularly get along but they acted like brothers and I think Shard liked someone that wasn't really focused on what he was created for, but how he acted. I think Silver was closer to Shard because it felt like this was someone Silver couldn't essentially lose easily. It felt more permanent than his other relationships. So it was important for me to portray this in such an insignificant way to others. The part where Silver teases Shard for being a rebellious little robot was nod to their past experiences with the other. Why Nicole was so grateful to Sally for her own wedding was because Sally trusted Nicole enough that she knew Shard was who she claimed him to be and it took her a while but she managed to convince her friends and father to help Nicole rebuild him and then later encouraged them to give them a wedding. Sally has always been like this with Nicole. Almost motherly at times but usually a good sister to her and I needed this relationship to be portrayed through this story because this meant so much to me as I used to have a friend like Sally and ironically that friend really hated Sally as a character. XD Larry simply had to be mentioned in the story somehow as he was one of those characters that really intrigued me and I related with. The small part of Sally passing of the bouquet to Amy was a simple nod to supporters of Sally and Amy's friendship and/or relationship (but I meant it as friendly, really) and in a sense to slightly tick off those who disapprove of their precious favorite Sonic's girl interacting with the other. XD Sally has always been quite generous and though she has feelings for Sonic herself she knows how badly Amy wants to marry him so she passes them off to Amy, not really believing in such superstitions, anyhow. I love Sally because I feel like her sometimes, so this was what I would do, to be honest. Also, the remark that Nicole makes about Shard "and you look like a spray-painted pile of scrap metal" was a nod to the headcanon made by** **Galaxynite** **about the two getting married and how Shard would prepare. That headcanon is depicted here;** art/… **. Their proposal came to mind after considering Shard actually shopping for a ring and how frightened and/or wary citizens would be. I came to the conclusion this is how he would likely propose and I feel those two would consider it real funny and cute and that's why they made their actually wedded rings modeled after it. The reason Sonic was thrown in was for three reasons. First, his general relationship with Nicole and his slight acceptance of Shard. Second, to show that Shard was indeed modeled after Sonic as they both have similar bits of snarky humor. The third for, well... snarky humor. XD**


End file.
